Well, thank you, Mark, for leading us again this morning. I appreciate those good hymns. 

We're continuing our study this morning in the book of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2. And we spent our last couple of messages looking at the amazing revelation of the first part of the chapter concerning the things that are yet to come. Paul's writing, you'll remember, to give comfort and consolation to the believers there who were experiencing severe persecution from their countrymen. And it would also add false teachers come in and were influencing them with some errant teaching concerning the rapture and the day of the Lord. 

So Paul's giving them solid truth for the purpose of settling their hearts and minds concerning the coming day of the Lord and the relation of the rapture to it. The main message is this. The rapture of the church will precede the day of the Lord. Therefore, the believers are not in the day of the Lord and will not experience that time designated for the nation of Israel and God's wrath poured out through the Antichrist and ultimately on the nations in the second coming of Christ. 

We see Paul lay those events out in verses 1 to 8. Verse 8 promises us that the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming. There's coming a day when Jesus is going to judge his people Israel and bring them to salvation. And he's also going to judge this world and the people of this world who would not believe him. He will make all things right. 

He will set all things under his feet. And he will set up his kingdom and rule and reign for 1,000 years on David's throne. And as we saw last time, the day of the Lord or the day of God also includes the destruction of this heavens and earth and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3 gives us these great promises as well. 

But in the meantime, Peter tells us that God is waiting, that God is patient and long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. That's why Jesus has not come. Not because he is slack concerning his promise, but because he is so loving, so gracious, and he is still accomplishing the work of salvation in those who will believe. 

But the time of grace will end, my friends. And the time of judgment will come in the day of the Lord. And what we will see in our text this morning is that for those who will not receive the love of the truth, for those who will not believe the gospel, there's a time of great trouble and judgment coming on this earth. They will experience the wrath of God and eternal judgment in the lake of fire. They will follow after the lawless one. They will believe the lie and will not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. 

This is the tragic circumstance of the unwilling, those who will not believe Jesus. But the main point of Paul, his intent in writing, comes back in our text this morning. And that is to comfort the believer, consolation, encouragement. And he does this with powerful truth, with clear teaching. And he does this as he so often does, by way of contrast. 

Let's look at our text this morning, 2 Thessalonians 2, beginning at verse 9. It says, "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God, from the beginning, chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work." 

I've given you five points on your outline. First, unwilling. Second, chosen. Third, glory. Fourth, everlasting consolation. And fifth, good hope. 

Well, first, in our text this morning, we see the unwilling. And this is such an important point for us to understand. We see in 2 Peter that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth that they might be saved. It is God's desire that every man believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, that each one hears the gospel and takes the gospel for himself through faith in Jesus to be saved forever. 

But so often, man is not willing. Paul's words here in this text lead us into the mystery of the sovereignty of God in salvation and the responsibility of man. Here in verse 9, we see the unwilling. The issue is they would not. They would not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. We see this consistently throughout the scriptures. It is not that God predestines men to hell or that he does not want men to be saved. The scriptures consistently teach that the issue is man's unwillingness, man's consistent rebellion against God, and willful suppression of the truth. 

God is not willing that any should perish. He desires that every man be saved. And Jesus died for every man. We saw that last week in our communion service in Romans 3. The great purpose of the cross, according to Romans 3, 25, and 26, is to display, to manifest the righteousness of God. And this was necessary because in his forbearance in the past, in the Old Testament, God had passed over sins, not punishing them. 

But Paul says, at the cross, God poured out his wrath for every sin on Christ so that he was shown to be righteous. His righteousness was displayed at the cross, Paul says. I hope you can grasp this point because it's important. If God did not pour out his wrath for all sin at the cross, then his righteousness would not be made manifest at the cross. 

Yes, he will punish those who do not believe with everlasting destruction at the second coming in the great white throne. But Romans 3 says his righteousness was displayed at the cross. It points out this is a great purpose of the cross, is to show God is righteous and holy. Paul says God passed over some sins before the cross. Let them slide without immediate punishment. But at the cross, he punished every sin, showing his righteousness, demonstrating his righteousness. 

Now, this does not mean universal salvation because the rest of Romans 3 and chapter 4 go on to make it abundantly clear that the condition of salvation, of effective atonement, is faith, faith in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for our sins in our place alone. Jesus paid for every sin at the cross, but that righteousness displayed there can only be imputed to a sinful man by faith and faith alone. Our sins are imputed individually to Christ, and his righteousness is imputed to us when we believe. 

This is Romans 3 and 4, and this is the context of what he's saying in those verses in 25 and 26. So the reason men spend eternity in hell is not because it is God's desire or because the atonement of Christ was limited. It is because of the unwillingness of man to believe Jesus. Salvation is accomplished. Jesus paid it all. It is finished. 

But there are so many who will not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved, and they will perish. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish. Why do they perish? Because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion to believe the lie that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

These are sobering, fearful words, and they have perhaps a specific application to those who are alive at the time of the rapture of the church and the beginning of the day of the Lord. It says that God will send them strong delusion to believe the lie. It appears that the lie, the falsehood, is associated with the Antichrist in some way and that they will follow after him. 

But the important point to notice is that this is a judgment by God on those who would not believe, who were not willing to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ, and after the rapture of the church will follow after the lie of the Antichrist and follow him to destruction. The message is the same throughout the scriptures throughout time. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Today is the day of salvation. Don't put it off. Don't plan for tomorrow, because you do not know if you will have tomorrow. 

And we see examples such as Pharaoh in Egypt who hardened his heart against God, who hardened his heart, it says, at least twice. And then it says God further hardened his heart for his purposes in judgment, because he would not believe. And those who will not believe, who will not receive the love of the truth in the time of grace, in the time in which we live now, will experience God's judgment in the time of wrath that is to come. 

So we see unwilling, but next there is this great and wonderful contrast. Verse 13, the word but. But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

I love that word but, that word of contrast. We move here from the unwilling to the chosen. And here we also move to the sovereignty of God and salvation. Now, I don't want you to fret a bit. This is for your encouragement. It's for your assurance. Paul says, we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation. 

Why do men perish? Because they will not believe. They're unwilling to receive the love of the truth, the gospel of salvation. It does not say it is because God did not choose them. This is never the emphasis of the scripture. It is always on their unwillingness, their rebellion against the truth. 

But when God wants to encourage the believer, to assure the believer in Jesus Christ, we see him give us this amazing, wonderful truth of the sovereignty of God and salvation and how he chose us from the beginning for salvation by setting us apart by the Holy Spirit, bringing us the gospel message about Jesus, in which we believed, placing our faith in him. Faith comes by hearing a message about Jesus. 

Ephesians 1.13 tells us that we must first hear the gospel, then we must believe, and then we are saved. That's the consistent message of the scripture. You hear, you believe, and you're saved. The wonderful truth giving us consolation here is the truth that God chose us for salvation. This is security. This is consolation. This is confidence. 

We studied this last week in our communion service in Romans 8. Those whom he justified, he also glorified. This sovereignty of God and salvation does not negate the responsibility of man to believe. It rests comfortably with it in the mind of God and in his word. Just because we cannot explain it does not mean that we should not believe it. 

Think about the deity in the humanity of Christ. Would someone like to come up and explain that to me, please? He's not half man. He's not half God. He's fully man. He's fully God. How do you reconcile that in your mind? You don't. You believe it, right? 

What about the triune nature of the one true God? Can we explain that? He's three and he's one? No. But we believe it. I cannot explain those things, but they are clearly revealed in the scriptures, and I believe them with my whole heart and mind. And I also believe that God chose us for salvation. 

And at the same time, every man has the opportunity to believe Jesus and be saved. Whosoever will may come, anyone who comes to me, I will in no wise cast out. The last loving call of grace in the Bible is at the end of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, where it says, the spirit and the bride say, come. And let him who hears say, come. And let him who thirsts come. 

Listen to this. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Whoever desires, whoever wills, let him take freely. Man's will is in full effect, and it is those who are unwilling who perish. But at the same time, we have the assurance that God chose us for salvation, that he set us apart by the Holy Spirit, that he brought the gospel to us, and we received, believed that gospel, and we were justified, sealed, and are kept by the power of God for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. 

He did it all. He planned it before the world began. He brought it to pass. He orchestrated the details of our lives. He brought faithful witnesses to us to bring us the gospel. And at some point, our will, our choice, works with that to believe. 

Turn over to Ephesians 1 with me, please. Ephesians 1 at verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. 

You'll notice very often when it talks about choosing, when it talks about predestination, it talks about being conformed to the likeness of Christ. Really, the whole message here is assurance for the believer, and that is if you believe Jesus, if you have been justified by faith, Romans 5.1, then Romans 5-8 are yours, right? You're going to be glorified. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. 

We are secure in Him. He keeps us by His power. He will continue the work He's begun to the day of completion. All of these ideas of Him being in control and sovereign are meant to encourage us that if we believe Jesus, we're secure forever. It says, Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth, in Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. 

When the Bible speaks of the condemnation of man, it always speaks of the unwillingness, the rebellion of man against the truth, against God, against His Christ and His gospel. But when God wants to give us assurance, He speaks of His sovereignty, His grace, His great gift of salvation to those who believe. My confidence is in Him. My confidence is in His power, His promise, His grace. And He who promised is faithful, He will do it. 

Turn over to 1 Peter 1 with me, please. 1 Peter 1, verse 1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the dispersion, this again is because of great persecution, they were dispersed out into Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

Then He says, in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while if need be you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ whom having not seen you love, though now you do not see Him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

The end of your faith is the salvation of your souls ready to be revealed in the last time. God has saved us by His mercy, by His grace, the plan, the work of salvation is solely by God's grace and for those who believe who are justified we are kept by the power of God. Our salvation is reserved in heaven, it is incorruptible, it is undefiled, it does not fade away. This is so profound and amazing and it is the sovereignty of God in our salvation. He saved us for the express purpose of bringing us to glory. 

Glorification is just as much a part of our salvation as is justification. Paul's intent and purpose here is to comfort, it's to give consolation to the believers. He's laying some pretty heavy stuff on them about the rapture, the day of the Lord, the wrath and judgment to come. And here he says, but you, brethren, are chosen by God. You're kept by His power. He has you in the palm of His hand and no one can pull you out. 

Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. These great truths comfort us because we were saved for the very purpose of obtaining glory. That's what he says if you look at verse 13 of our text again. But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth to which He called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

If you've been justified by faith, you will be glorified. God saved us for the purpose of ultimately saving us. We've been justified, we are saved, we have the promise of sanctification predestined to be conformed to the likeness of Christ, we are being saved and we also have the guarantee of glorification, we will be saved. We were saved for the purpose of the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

God saved you to make you holy and ultimately to glorify you. Thinking of 1 John 3 again, behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God, therefore the world does not know us. I was in the world a little bit this week. The world does not know us because it did not know Him. 

Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure. 

In Romans 8 it says, we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He called. Whom He called, He also justified. And whom He justified, these He also glorified. 

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is He who condemns? It is Christ who died and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also lives to make intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of God? No one, nothing. He gives us that long comprehensive list, things present, things to come. No created thing, you're a created thing. Nothing, nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

So the promise of glory gives us everlasting consolation and good hope. Look at verse 15 of our text. Therefore brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. 

The believers in Thessalonica were troubled in their spirits. They were confused by false doctrine and they were fearful. What was it that they needed? They needed sound doctrine. They needed truth and they needed encouragement. Ponder these truths we've just been studying. Rethink on these things. What has Paul just said? There will be judgment for those who do not believe Jesus. Jesus is coming back to set all things right, bring the kingdom in, end injustice and suffering and usher in the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. 

We who have believed, we are with Him. We are in Him. In fact, God chose us for salvation. He set us apart by the Holy Spirit and when we heard the gospel and believed Jesus, we were saved, justified, regenerated, made new men and we will be glorified. It is as sure as the word and the promise and power of God. And on top of all that, God by His grace gives us everlasting consolation. That's today, my friends. That's tomorrow. That's every day until the consummation, until the fulfillment of all these things. 

And as we experience everlasting consolation by His grace today and every day through the truth of His promises, we also have a good hope, a good hope by His grace. We have hope in Jesus Christ. 

This last week, Bobby and I traveled down to Florida to visit some friends who invited us down and one day while we were there, we spent a day in Key West. I don't know if you're familiar with Key West. Everyone I talk to is like, oh, Key West, you know. But it's a unique place at the southernmost point of the continental United States. It's a beautiful place, an amazing display of God's creation and there are many wonderful little shops and great restaurants, fresh seafood. 

But it's a place where people go to exercise the flesh, where everything is soaked in alcohol and there's a great deal of debauchery. I was talking to a friend of mine while I was there and he said, where are you at? I said, I'm in Key West. Key West. He said, last time I was there, my wife made me go shopping. I looked over and there was a 300-pound guy standing there in a dress beside me. Key West is a unique place. 

But we were there on a weekday in the daytime. We didn't really see any of these things. But it's clear that most people are there to party it up. And we saw a lot of people who had no hope. Some who were partying, reveling in the daytime, others down and out on the street. But it was obvious to me that they had no hope. And that's how it is in this world. Some places more evident than others. But the men of this world have no hope. 

Bobby and I went on a little cruise on a sailboat one evening with a group. Went snorkeling and kayaking in the mangroves. And all the people on the boat, when we got on the boat, they said, we have free beer and wine, but you can't drink until after we go snorkeling. Well, Bobby and I were the last ones back on the boat. And they were all drinking as fast as they could the free beer and wine. 

And Bobby and I sat there taking in the beauty of the surroundings, but I felt out of place among the worldly men around us. We did not share their desire to fill some void because we are filled. We are full in Christ. We have a confident assurance. We have a settled salvation and a good hope by the grace of God. 

Good hope, even in this world of despair, of pain and suffering and confusion where the Antichrist is coming to rule for a short time, where corrupt leaders plot and plan and deceive for their own power and purposes at the expense of whoever gets in the way. Even as the injustice troubles our spirits, we keep coming back to the everlasting consolation of Christ. 

We keep coming back to Jesus because He is our assurance. He is our peace. He is our hope. My brothers and sisters, He is our life. 2 Corinthians 5 says, For the love of Christ compels us because we judge thus that if one died for all, then all died. And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 

Therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. 

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God, for He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, in order that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. If one died for all, then all died. And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 

Paul says, Therefore, based on all of these great truths, this wonderful assurance, everlasting consolation, the good hope that we have in Him, therefore, stand fast. Stand fast in the truth, in the doctrine that you've been taught, the truth of our sure salvation, of His grace that is sufficient today and every day, and of the hope that we have in Him. 

He died for us so that we might live for Him, that we might live holy lives. Everyone who has this hope, John says, purifies himself. We live for Him as a witness to Him. And, my brothers and sisters, we carry His message. We are His ambassadors. We are pleading with men to hear the truth, the gospel of Christ, to love the truth, to receive it, to believe Jesus that they might be saved. 

This is why we are here. This is why we live. This is our purpose, the reason that God leaves us in the world, that the world may know that Jesus is the Christ, that He is the everlasting consolation and good hope by the grace of God for every man who will believe. 

These are the truths that we must continually focus on, that we must renew our minds to. Jesus is our hope. Jesus is our peace. Jesus is our consolation. Turn over to Philippians 2 with me as we close, please. 

Philippians 2, 1. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others. 

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 

For God also has highly exalted him and given him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

My friends, things are not right in this world. But the time is coming where Jesus will come back and take what is rightly His in the day of the Lord. And He will set things right and He will rule and reign with a rod of iron. But now, in this time, Jesus is our consolation, He's our promise, He's our hope. All things are not right, but we see Jesus, the promise, and it's for Him that we live. 

Every knee will bow, you can take that to the bank. But for now, we live one day at a time with that hope and we eagerly wait for it with perseverance and we live as witnesses with a message of hope. A message of hope for those who have no hope. And if they would take that message, if they are willing, if they would believe, then they would have everlasting consolation and a good hope through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful for these encouraging words that you've preserved for us from Paul to the Thessalonians. We thank you for the truth that you chose us for salvation, that you keep us, you set us apart by your Spirit, you brought the gospel to us. Thank you for the faithful witnesses in our lives. And thank you that we are justified when we believe Jesus. And if we have been justified, we will be glorified. 

And thank you that you're faithful, that you're sufficient, that your grace is sufficient for every day of life. I just pray, Lord, that you would help us to renew our minds to these truths continually, to preach the gospel to ourselves every day so that we might have everlasting consolation today and every day and a good hope for what we know is coming by your Word, by your promise. In Jesus' name, amen.